Although almost everyone in the game saw Aaron Judge turn down the $213.5 million extension the Yankees offered him to bet on himself as a player's Exhibit A just before Opening Day, the outfielder did not. thought.
And still not.
Even they've already entered what many in the game believe is probably the biggest walk-on year an impending free agent has had.
Not only did Judge hit an American League record tying 61 homers — you may have seen or heard that he also saw Roger Maris complete an 8-3 win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday night with a rocket of the seventh inning of Toronto left-hander Tim Mezza. Equivalent - Judge enters the final seven games with a valid chance to win the AL Triple Crown.
Entering into Friday night's series opener against the Orioles at the stadium, Judge is not only the AL leader in homers and RBIs (130) – he leads both categories by a mile – he is also on a hunt for the league batting title. In the race too. The judge, with the Yankees closing on Thursday, is hitting .313. Twins Luis Arrez went 2-for-4 on Thursday to lead on .315, and Boston's Xander Bogarts, at .309, is 1-for-3 on Thursday.
So, Judge's thoughts on his 2022 season given the circumstances under which he started the year? (Which included an incomparable amount of anger on his part against the team for announcing the contract offer.)
"As I said at the beginning, I never saw it as a bet, I never saw it as a bet on myself," said the judge. "I had no idea what I would be playing for the New York Yankees wearing the pinstripe this year. We couldn't agree on anything [before Opening Day], but I turned my attention to, 'Hey, let's get out of there' Go out and have a good season for my teammates and do what I can to help us be in good shape for the long haul after the season.' I'm out there playing baseball now. I don't look at the stats, I look at the numbers. We just have an incredible group of people in that room who keep motivating me and pushing each other day after day. that's what It's all about."
And what the judges have been doing publicly since his AL Rookie of the Year season in 2017, when he hit the then-rookie record of 52 homers, as Michigan football coach Bo Schimbachler famously put it in a speech, celebrated Frequent expressions are, "team, team, team, team."
"He's as cute as they come, and I think everybody's really excited for him, but — and I think that's partly how Aaron is — but everybody feels a part of it," Aaron Boone said of the judge. "And that's who he is as a teammate and I think the reason people were so excited is because they think they're a big part of it and it's a tribute to him. Just an incredible atmosphere. "Awesome environment for now, I'm sure the Bronx will be there again on Friday night. Good script so far."
Boone said: "He never makes it about himself. Many people can speak it, he lives it. And he's just an all-time partner. And the fact that he's the face of your team and the best player ever." And the fact that he is completely above the others in the team makes me proud to be the captain for the last five years."
Attributes that are one of the main reasons the judge's son is sure to be consigned to the record books soon, he said, will lead to nothing but approval and warmth from his famous father toward the iconic Yankees of this generation.
Roger Maris Jr. said: "Aaron would be very proud of the way he carries himself." “He comes to the ballpark every day mentally prepared, physically prepared. He's about the team talking, he's all about winning. He is about to win a championship. ,
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